


Day 059

by Josh_the_Bard



Series: A Year in Kirkwall [59]
Category: Dragon Age (Video Games), Dragon Age II
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-29
Updated: 2020-02-29
Packaged: 2021-02-28 05:40:12
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 920
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22948705
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Josh_the_Bard/pseuds/Josh_the_Bard
Series: A Year in Kirkwall [59]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1589257
Kudos: 1





	Day 059

Noll watched as everything they had been working towards crumbled around them. The alianage was swarming with templars who were searching the district top to bottom looking for Alaren. Already they had found three magically gifted elves who had been hiding out but were not bloodmages. They were being hauled off to the circle never to be seen by their friends and family again. Noll understood why Merrill had done what she had but it had destroyed more lives then letting Brennan die would have. 

The elven militia, pitiful and undertrained as they were, were trying to help the templars search. The faster things were resolved the faster the templars would leave and the elves could mourn their losses. Aveline and her guards had stayed away so far, perhaps that stubborn woman had finally realized that not everything in Kirkwall was her business.

Knight Captain Cullen was leading the search and he was being very thorough. No door had been left unopened, no shadow unilluminated. Noll would have been impressed if he wasn’t tearing the allinage apart.

“We don’t even know if the mage is still in the alienage,” they said to Cullen. The templar was standing by a portable desk, reading a report from his minions. 

“True enough,” he replied, not taking his eyes off the report he was reading. “We also don’t know that he’s not. The fact that he was here for weeks and no one here reported him is concerning. He likely has allies here still. Those allies also need to be brought to justice.” Here Cullen did look up. He and Noll locked eyes for a moment. Noll was the one to look away first, and they hated themselves for that. 

“Why would you expect to receive a report if this is the result?” Noll gestures to the general chaos the templars were causing.

“Apologies but my attention is strained already. You are not the Haharen of your people and I cannot spare any more time to indulge your need for debate.”

Noll stormed off. Their fingers itched. They were very aware of the weight of the knives in their belt. This was not a problem that could be stabbed, at least Noll didn’t think they had enough time or energy to stab all the templars. They wanted someone to blame but Alaren was gone. How did you even track a mouse? 

There was someone who might be able to help, a friend. No, THE friend.

Noll left the alianage behind and marched to the Hanged Man. The humans of Lowtown looked at Noll with mistrust, and even open hostility, but none got in their way. They found Jenny in the back room where she liked to rest or meet friends. 

“Noll.” She sounded surprised to see them. “I didn’t think you would be leaving the alianage any time soon. Especially with all the templars there now.”

“I need to find the mage they are after,” they declared. “He entered Merrill’s home and attacked her. He brought the templars down on us. Families are being torn apart as we speak. I want him found and I want him dead.”

“I can handle the former easily enough. The latter is your domain.”

Noll smiled. “Yes it is.”

“A favour for a favour,” Jenny reminded them.

“For this? Anything.” Noll said. Jenny nodded and went to work. It took until sundown but she managed to wrestle Alaren’s hiding spot from the city. He was in Darktown, naturally, in a safehouse that the mage underground used. Noll had been there before and knew all the ways in and out. 

The safehouse was the cellar of a collapsed hovel. At some point in its history someone had dug a hole from the cellar to the sewers. That was the weakness Noll targeted. They waded through the fowle smelling sewage and stopped just under the hole. There was a grate that blocked access from the sewer unless it was opened from inside, but Noll didn’t need to get all the way inside. The bars were far enough apart to reach an arm through, and that was enough. 

According to Jenny’s friends, Alaren was alone so Knoll didn’t need to worry about killing the wrong target by mistake. As soon as the faint light that shone down the hole was obscured Noll thrust their dagger up and into soft mage flesh. There was an ear splitting streak of pain and surprise. Noll twisted the dagger left and right before pulling it out. Blood and shit poured down the hole and the screaming turned to choking. They had chosen the poison because it worked quickly, that it was excruciatingly painful was just a bonus. 

With the mage dead Noll could afford the time and noise it took to break into the safehouse from street-level. Jenny’s friends had been correct. Aleren had been the only one inside.

It was almost midnight when Noll returned to the alianage and tossed the mage’s head at Cullen’s feet. 

“Your business here is concluded,” they said. Cullen was taken aback but picked up the head, comparing it to the sketch the elves had provided. The Knight Captain nodded once and called his men back. The templars left promptly, leaving the alienage in silence. Without their hostage, they no longer had any leverage and would have to trust Aveline’s word that she wouldn’t storm the alienage until the nobles voted on their petition. It was a thin hope and Noll would keep their knives sharp, just in case.


End file.
